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“True.”
“And apparently this is the first time that Wiley has been left behind,” Cort added, the mild amusement returning to his voice.
The news that Wiley would not be accompanying them to the mall had not been greeted with quiet dignity and acceptance on Wiley’s part. The young man refused to accept that he couldn’t be of some help to the Circle. It had taken more than a little coaxing and even some tough love on Baer’s part to get through to his mate that he was safer at home than in the middle of the fight with a power that wasn’t exactly helpful. He’d been a great help against Ardette, but Wiley’s gift was limited to the minds of animals and so far, the only magical weapon John had attacked them with was the enthrallment of humans.
“I would have preferred that you remained behind with them,” Grey murmured. He squeezed Cort’s arm where he was holding it just above the elbow. “I want you safe.”
“It’ll be fine. You focus on your job,” Cort said confidently.
Grey closed his eyes and let that feeling slip through him. He was confident that he could handle John. And he was confident that his brothers could keep Cort safe. He was even confident that Cort was smart enough to get himself out of danger. Grey’s main fear was if Cort was faced with an enthralled human. His lover wouldn’t intentionally harm an innocent person, and these people under John’s control were completely innocent.
As they entered the mall, Grey struggled with the urge to look around at his surroundings. He could manage a little, thanks to the dark sunglasses he’d snatched from Baer. If John thought it was strange, he was ready with an excuse of headaches. The glasses allowed him to surreptitiously scan his surroundings so long as he remembered not to move his head too much.
The Whispering Pines Mall was an older design with two floors and open center courtyards for benches, fountains, and those little kiosks selling everything from skin cream to time-shares. While the news was constantly reporting on the death of malls, this one obviously wasn’t having any problems. But then, the holiday shopping season seemed to force everyone out of their homes.
People filled nearly every space that wasn’t already crowded with Christmas decorations. The entire mall seemed to sparkle with fake snowflakes and oversized tree ornaments dangling from the ceiling. Customers and workers were dressed in ugly Christmas sweaters, flashing necklaces that resembled holiday lights, and felt reindeer antlers. Children whined and cried as they waited in the incredibly long line to sit on Santa’s lap. Grey dragged his gaze away from the massive village that had sprung up in the courtyard they were attempting to cut through, inwardly shuddering at the amounts of glitter and bright colors. Above the din, an endless loop of Christmas songs played.
In short, everyone was in the holiday mood but Grey.
Not that he didn’t enjoy celebrating the holidays. But he preferred it from a distance. Mostly, the world and all its noise remained outside of his home while he relaxed in front of a crackling fire, a glass of warm mulled wine at his elbow, and a Christmas tree glowing with tiny white lights. Quiet. Understated. No people.
Well, this year adding Cort to that image held quite a bit of appeal. The two of them cuddled on the couch together. Maybe watching a holiday movie.
No, Christmas was going to be a large family of eight gathered in the family room, laughing and talking.
How the hell did he get such a big family?
“Are you growling?” Cort asked, breaking into his random thoughts.
“Huh? No. I’m not growling. I…I’m fine.” He needed to fucking focus.
“Are the people causing too much noise for you?” Cort inquired.
Grey knew what his lover meant. He wasn’t talking about all their chatter, crying, and shouting. He was referring to the barrage of thoughts and emotions pouring off them.
And strangely enough, it wasn’t that bad. It was certainly more manageable than it had been before he and Cort had been bonded. His lovely mate provided a soothing bubble of protection around his brain, seeming to help filter out the worst of the noise. Having Cort there was definitely helping to keep him from being overwhelmed. His only problem was that he wasn’t concentrating as well as he should have been.
Closing his eyes, he relied on Cort to help maneuver him through the throngs of people while he reached out with his own powers, searching for a hint that John was already in the mall somewhere. He could feel the tiniest ping of Baer. The Animal Weaver was supposed to enter the mall more than thirty minutes ago as a mouse and then shift into a finch so he could hang out near the ceiling, watching for any signs of trouble. Lucien and Calder would be strolling in behind him shortly from two different entrances.
